Spicing It Up
by Ezzillion
Summary: Norma is shopping for a racy outfit while Alex is called upon to handle a 'shoplifter' at the same store.


Norma stood in front of her mirror carefully examining her form. She and George had been seeing each other for a week now and the sex was already beginning to plunder. In fact, it was waning in on intolerable. He had asked her to try wearing something during their next occasion. If Norma was being honest with herself, felt slightly insulted. Why did he need her in an outfit to get him going? Wasn't she alone enough? The thought hit hard and was just enough to tamper with her self-image. Norma shook her mind of the thought and began thumbing through the sheer and lacy pieces tightly packed in her top drawer. Most were old and worn to the point of useless and the rest didn't seem as though they would get the job done. Norma slammed the drawer shut in defeat and made her way downstairs.

Norma parked her Mercedes in front of the small and seemingly congested building. She took in a stabilizing breath and stepped out of the car. As she made her way to the entrance, her eyes surveyed the area. The parking lot was nearly empty, a few cars here and there.

After finally entering the store, Norma quickly began scanning through the array of options. As she stood, staring at the wall of skimpy apparel, she thought to herself if trying this hard to with George was entirely worth it. She banished the thought from her mind. George was a good man and she would make it work with him.

* * *

><p>Alex was sitting in his office at his desk, staring at the clock from across the room. He was waiting until the last few seconds of his official 'Sheriff' duty had passed. Once the clock struck, he quickly packed up his belongings and headed out of his office.<p>

He quietly made his way the halls of the building, hoping to go unbothered.

"See you tomorrow, Sheriff," Lin called as he passed her office.

All Alex did was wave. His Deputy wasn't exactly someone he enjoyed speaking with. She alone was enough to push him to relocate to another town. Thankfully, it was the end of his day and he could retreat back to his room at the motel. Sitting back with a box of Chinese takeout and watching basic cable was the only thing he looked forward to each day.

* * *

><p>Norma found herself in a more promising portion of the store: the jewelry section. As she paced down the small aisle, her eyes traveled throughout the compact display. A simple, yet elegant pearl bracelet caught her eye and she quickly reached to retrieve it from the hook. Given its price, it was most definitely faux, but she figured it would make a great addition to her collection. She slid it on around her wrist, instantly forgetting about it as another eye catching piece caught her attention. She lifted the next piece but quickly set it down, remembering the intent of her visit and headed back to 'Apparel'.<p>

She sifted through her options, being careful to observe each aspect of every piece. Just as she pulled out a piece that she was comfortable with, a voice from behind called out, causing her to jump.

"Would you like some assistance ma'am," a lady, clearly an employee, asked from behind.

Norma turned, hanger in hand, and looked in the direction of the voice. She was struck with an immediate wave of embarrassment.

"Uh...actually, I think I'll come back another day. Thank you though," Norma replied, returning the hanger to its original place and quickly made her way toward the exit. Just as she passed through the doorway, a loud beeping blared from the front of the store. Norma stopped and turned around, ready to prove that she didn't possess any of the store's merchandise. A tall man approached her, his eyes immediately falling on the tag peeking out of the sleeve of her coat.

"Ma'am, would you mind coming with me?" he asked in a rather demanding tone as he pressed his hand into her back to guide her forward.

"Why?" she asked, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Just come with me," he insisted, bringing her further into the store.

The two stepped into a small room, clearly the surveillance room. Norma took a seat in a nearby chair as the man leaned against the desk.

"What is this about? Why am I in here? I don't have anything," she insisted, still oblivious to the item clasped around her wrist.

The man pointed at her arm and raised his eyebrows.

"I watched you put it on. You seemed to be in kind of a hurry to leave after one of our workers spoke to you," he explained.

Norma lifted her arm, finally realizing the fact that she was still wearing the bracelet. She quickly slid it off her wrist and held it out to him.

"I'm so sorry. I forgot I was wearing it," she told him. The look on his face told her that he didn't buy it.

"I'll pay for if you'd like," she added.

"That won't be necessary. The authorities have already been contacted," he informed her.

"Are you kidding me! I didn't realize I was wearing it when I left. Can't you just let me pay for it so I can leave?" she yelled, feeling herself becoming angry.

"I'm sorry. You'll have to speak with the officer when they arrive."

Norma leaned forward and slammed the bracelet onto the desk. She sat back and glared at him from across the small distance between them.

* * *

><p>Alex was finally turning in for the day, already sitting in his SUV making his way back to the motel, when his phone chimed in his jacket pocket.<p>

"Shit," he spat, cursing the earsplitting tone before quickly flipping open the phone.

"Romero," he greeted sternly. He wasn't surprised when the familiar, yet unbearable voice of Lin echoed through the speaker.

"Sheriff Romero, it's Deputy Lin. We received a call from the local adult store about a shoplifter. Think you can get this one before you call it a day?"

"Yeah..." he muttered, dreading the fact that his day was yet to be over. Luckily, this was nothing major; it would be an in and out situation.

"Alright. I'll see you to—" she was cut off as Alex shut his phone and placed it back in his pocket.

* * *

><p>The turning of the doorknob caught Norma's attention. As the door opened, Norma's eyes widened. She felt a bolt of cold numbness course throughout her body as Alex stood in the doorway looking at her.<p>

"Evening, Sheriff," the man greeted, reaching out a hand. Alex complied, taking his hand for a firm handshake before pulling back.

"What can I do for you?" Alex asked, keeping his focus on the man.

"Well, I brought her in after observing her through the cameras. She put on a piece of our jewelry and left the store wearing it. She seemed to be in a hurry to get out if you ask me," he explained.

"I already told you, I forgot I was wearing it," she exclaimed.

"Alex, come on. You know me, why would I steal anything?" she asked. "Cheap jewelry at that," she added with bitterness in her voice, glancing over at the man at the desk.

Alex exchanged looks with the man standing in front of him. He thought for a moment. He knew Norma wasn't lying, but he thought it might be a little amusing to mess with her.

"Alright. I'll take care of her and I'll make sure this doesn't happen again," he said with a grin.

Norma stood from the chair and shot Alex a disapproving look. She was enraged with Alex's disbelief in her side of the story.

Alex was quick guide Norma through the doorway before engaging in another handshake with the man.

"Thank you, Sheriff. Have a nice evening."

"You too," Alex replied before turning and following Norma to the exit.

"What are you doing her anyway," he asked from behind her.

"Don't talk to me," she sneered as she glanced back to see him. Alex sped up and met her after she left the building.

"What?" he asked, pretending to be oblivious the root of her anger.

"That was embarrassing! You know damn well that I wasn't lying," she yelled angrily.

"You're right. I did know," he replied calmly.

"Then why didn't you say anything? My reputation is already bad enough. This is just going to make it worse," she explained as her eyes began to well with tears.

Alex sighed and took a step closer to her.

"You're right, I should've said something. I'm sorry," he admitted in a comforting tone.

"Sure you are. I'm going back home, leave me alone," she sneered before turning to walk away.

"Norma, come on. I'm sorry," he repeated, reaching a hand out to catch her arm.

Norma tore her arm from his grip, which only caused his to reach out again, this time taking a tighter hold of her arm. She finally turned to him and it became evident to Alex how upset the situation had made her. She had tears streaming down her cheeks and she was looking away from him.

"I'm sorry. I really am," he insisted before bringing himself closer to her.

"Alright," she muttered, bringing a hand up to clear the tears from her face.

"Can I please go now?"

"Not until I know you're okay."

Norma sniffled and looked up at him. His face displayed sincerity, something she wasn't used to seeing in him.

"I'm fine," she said in a low voice, managing a faint smile.

"You sure, you don't look okay," he said as he dropped his hand back down to his side.

"Yeah, I promise," she assured him, this time with a more profound smile.

"Alright. So really, what were you doing in there anyway?" he asked out of curiosity.

"Uh, well. George's performance hasn't exactly been great so he asked me to try and find something to help spice it up." She paused for a moment. "I have no idea why I'm telling you this," she said with a shake of her head.

"In bed you mean?" he chuckled.

Norma grinned and nodded her head silently as they began walking to the parking lot.

"I really don't know about him. I mean, I'm not sure if it's going to work," she admitted, noticing how comfortable she was talking about it with Alex.

"Well, if you want my personal opinion, you could do better than him," he added.

"What do you mean? You don't think he's good enough for me?"

"Honestly, no. He doesn't exactly have the greatest reputation either. Not very smart if you ask me. He doesn't know his way around the real world. He's just another rich kid living it easy," Alex explained.

Norma stopped and looked at him.

"Yeah, I guess. It's very hard to connect with him. We have absolutely nothing in common," she added.

"Well. I'll see you back at the motel," he said as the approached her car.

"Alex," she said softly just before he began walking to his SUV.

Alex turned and looked at her in confusion.

"Thank you."

"For what?" he scoffed with a grin.

"For being nice to me for a change. It's nice to know that you don't hate me entirely," she told him.

He took a few steps back toward her.

"I don't hate you at all. Maybe when I first met you, yeah. But you're not nearly a pain as you used to be," he explained with a warm smile.

Norma laughed aloud and leaned up against her car door.

"That's nice to know," she commented. Her eyes began to wander, taking in his firm stance in front of her. He definitely was a looker, right down to his sculpted figure. When her eyes settled on his again, she noticed a more softened look upon his face.

"Well, I'm gonna go," she quickly blurted before turning and opening her car door.

Alex stood, confused. The look she sent him was foreign and it made him wonder. He slowly moved toward her and watched as she sat down in the car.

"Norma..." he began.

"Hm?" she replied, acting as though the awkward moment had never happened.

"Norma, look at me," he demanded.

Norma bit her bottom lip and glanced up at him before returning her focus on the steering wheel. On the inside, she was kicking herself. She was cheating in her mind. All the thoughts of a functional relationship with George pushed themselves from her mind. She didn't want to make it work anymore and in that moment, she realized that Alex, the man standing before her, was what she wanted.

"Look at me," he repeated loudly.

She finally looked up at him, her hands shaking as they rested on the steering wheel.

"What are you thinking about right now?" he asked.

"Uh...I," she stuttered, trying her best to stay calm. "I'm not sure," she whispered.

"Come here," he ordered, gesturing a hand toward himself.

Norma followed his command and stepped out of the car. She moved away from the door and stood in front of him.

Alex brought his face close to hers, but nothing more. As he looked down on her face, he saw intimidation and sorrow in her eyes. He could tell she wanted him, but she was afraid to show it.

He slowly stepped forward, forcing her backward. Her breathing hitched as her back collided with the car and she looked down, avoiding eye contact with him.

"Alex...I can't," she whispered.

Alex ignored her words. He didn't care. George didn't deserve to have her.

He brought a hand up and placed his fingertips on her chin, forcing her face up to look at him. She closed her eyes as he closed in and settled his lips on hers. She was hesitant to return the kiss but after giving in, she allowed her arms to wrap around his middle as his hands cupped her face.

Norma brought her arms up to hang around his neck, pulling him closer as she deepened the kiss. Alex's hand dropped to her waist as the other slid down to her neck. She pressed her back into the car while pressing her lower half forward in his strong frame.

Suddenly, Norma pulled back, ending the kiss. She stood silently looking up into his eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked, returning the gaze.

"It's just...it's wrong. Let me break it off with George first," she began.

"He really is a good person and this isn't fair to him," she explained.

"Alright," he replied as he pulled his body from hers.

Norma pinned her bottom lip between her teeth as she watched him turn and walk away. She quickly took him by the arm and brought him around to face her. She planted one more kiss on his lips.

"I'll break it off tomorrow," she promised with a sweet smile.

Alex took her by the hips and smiled back at her.

"Okay," he returned happily before kissing her one last time and retreating back to his SUV.

Norma turned and sat back down in her car as she watched Alex's SUV pull away and drive off. She sat silently, thinking about what just happened. She was happy, it felt right. Unlike the feeling she got with George. Alex was who she wanted and he was who she was going to make it work with. With that, she started her car and made her way back to the motel.


End file.
